Forgive me for a dumb question, but I'm hoping that there are other people out there who are wondering about this.

If I have a digital photo that has a crooked horizon, and I want to use a smaller section of it to print with a level horizon, is there a free program that I can use to do that with? Or, alternatively, do any websites like Snapfish offer that capability for a reasonable price? My photo editing experience pretty much begins and ends with cropping and resizing in MS Paint.

I've inserted a photo of my sister paddling a canoe as an example. Just a random sample of the terrible weather we had for 4th of July weekend in New Hampshire.

And for the record, I think I actually took this horizontally, but the shore of the lake makes it look otherwise.

Chris

 

I think you did take this horizontally, it's just that you're shooting down the lake a bit so the shoreline receeds and causes the angle. I don't think it's horribly crooked by any means.

As for straightening the horizen, Microsoft Paint can only rotate photos in 90 degree increments (at least my version of it). The program I would recommend for this is Photoshop (which has a lot of other nice features too). That said it isn't free. However, you can download a free 30 day trial version and use that to rotate the image.

 

Can't say I ever spent any time with 'free' tools, they are never any good. If you are on high-speed during the day, PM me and I'll give you Photoshop. There are plenty of programs out that have 30 day trials, but anything truely free these days is crap (except some linux apps of course).

 

"The Gimp" is a Photoshop knock-off that is quite good, available for PC, Linux, & Mac (I believe) and is absolutely free. Obviously -- whether it is crap or not is relative.

 

Gimp is one of the linux apps I excepted It *can* run on windows, but...let's just say the average user will have issues. Here's the FAQ just on installing it!: http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/faq.htmlIt's very powerful, but not NEARLY as easy to use nor quite as functional, especially for digital photography, as the real Photoshop, ESPECIALLY CS2. Gimp was a good equal a couple versions ago though.

 

Thanks for the help. I know Photoshop is pricy, and I know it would turn me into a recluse for a week after every single trip, so I'm trying to avoid it. I may check out this "Gimp" thing, though. I'll search for it when I get home.

 

Yaaaarrrrrrhhh! Shiver me timbers! I dint kno' that 'twas "Talk Like A Pirate Day" so soon, me hearties!

 

LOL it actually took me a minute to get that!

 

Photoshop Elements has most of the functionability of the full fledged version but at a much much more reasonable price. I believe it can be had for under $100 as opposed to the $560 price tag of the newest Photoshop CS2. Definately recommended.

 

That's a fine, well framed image. I don't know that I would mess with it. The primary element (your sister) is well framed and vertical. Nice shot.

 

If you are at all interested in the “digital darkroom”, you should check out GIMP. Like Photoshop, it has a steep learning curve. But, I believe it has 90 to 95% of the capability of PS (I’m not a PS user so take this comparison with a grain of salt). The only significant capability that I’m aware of that PS has and that GIMP doesn’t have is the ability directly import raw images. (I believe this is an extra cost option for PS.) GIMP has a windows installer, but it does come in three pieces: GTK (a graphics library), GIMP, and the GIMP help. You want all three parts. GTK and GIMP are required.

Have fun!

 

No, it is not extra in photoshop, and Gimp is missing a lot more than that when specifically working with photos.

 

iPhoto 5 in the Mac will do it. It puts up a grid and you can move a slider to rotate the image.

I tried it, and DiD is right - the picture is horizontal, the perspective is making the shore not quite horizontal. If you get the shore 'level' all the trees are leaning.

 

It’s a prospective thing.

I’m not seeing a crooked horizon; I see her paddling down river.

 

No it's not a 'perspective thing', here's it's fixed (via photoshop in 10 seconds).

 

That was a joke and I see you just didn't get it. "Paddling down river", you get it.

Guess not.

 

I don't assume anything - there are a lot of stupid people out there and you didn't have a smiley! LOL

 

Thanks! I just saw that this morning. I forgot about this thread!